Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
I think I would agree with the comparison and the statement, but would add "freedom of conscience" to it. There are people out there who are not religious but everyone has a conscience. The part in parenthesis is unclear though. What is meant by "including full right of public expression"?--Is this referring to public expression of religion, such as public worship, or to the right of religious believers to bring their faith into the public square? Also, is freedom of expression an absolute? I think my freedom of expression ends where your dignity is offended. (ie. I prefer not to bump into a nudist on the corner of my street).
ReplyDeleteI do believe however, that we must be allowed to express our faith in words and deeds. After all, we are all believers, the only question is.... in whom and in what.
"...everyone has a conscience."
ReplyDeleteMaybe. Depends on how you define it. However, even if that were true, any one's conscience will not be the same as everyone else's.
And freedom of expression does not stop where someone else's dignity is offended. It stops where someone else's rights are being abrogated. "Dignity" is much too variable in nature to use as a measure of anyone's rights.